The Father Knows

Daily Devotional: Day 147

“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you” (Luke 12:29-31, NKJV).

If you worry, you can’t rest. And, when you can’t rest, it’s hard to please God. But if you believe in God, you will be calm. Faith in God causes you to rest. A stressful (anxious) life is one of the chief enemies of the spiritual life. You need to come to a point where the Lord’s presence is enough to make you rest like a baby in the arms your Father in heaven. When you reach that point, anxiety, stress, panic and temper issues will be gone from your life. When the Lord repeatedly tells us not to worry, we need to pay attention. Worrying is symptomatic of a lack of faith.

Worrying impairs your spiritual vision and your ability to discern the will of God. It further impairs your ability to recognize the provident Hand of God in your life. Worrying is characteristic of people who do not know the Father God who provides. That is what Jesus is telling us today. Your Father in heaven knows that you need food and drink and other necessities of life. But the question is: Do you know the Father knows that you need these things? This may sound like a no-brainer, but it’s loaded with meaning. When you know that the Father knows about what you need, then you have no reason to worry. This kind of knowledge – knowing that the Father knows – is a source of great peace and calm for your soul.

People get agitated because they don’t know the Father. And, because they don’t know the Father, they don’t know His love and provision. If they knew Him, they wouldn’t be agitated. Jesus warns against having an anxious mind. Based on the Greek word meteorizomai, an anxious mind refers to a mind that is unstable, easily tossed about like the waves of the sea. It describes what happens in a person’s mind when he is not sure that the Father will provide.

Jesus never worried about His needs. His secret was that He never took His eyes off the Father who provides. Learn from Jesus. Fix your eyes on the Father in heaven, and your worries shall cease.

The Lord’s blessing be upon you today! Amen.

For further study: Luke 12:22-34